World Championship Final: Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Selby

I was watching some 80's Davis earlier and he hit a shot that was a type of safety I can only imagine Mark Selby also going for. He hammered the ball, trying to send object ball and cueball all around the table navigating a complex path through various other balls, but the pace of the cloth (or different balls) made the ambitious shot more difficult for Davis to pull off. He ripped through the cueball with comparable power though.

Frame

Indeed

vodkadiet wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:

vodkadiet wrote:

Holden Chinaski wrote:Whatever happens in this final, Ronnie has done enough in his career to deserve a lot of respect. He's won it all, and beat all the greats.

I hope it will be a great final.

I respect O'Sullivan's achievements, but will never respect him as a person. I also find the gushing comments by the likes of Taylor, Davis, Parrott, turn me off of O'Sullivan even more than I would usually.

I appreciate O'Sullivan has toned it down somewhat in recent times, and while I understand is only a game, I think he has brought the game in to so much disrepute throughout his career that I believe he should have been banned. If it had been tennis, he wouldn't have been permitted to continue his career.

Yeah some Ronnie fans are idiots no doubt Vodka, plus the likes of those commentators you mentioned always so biased towards him doesnt exactly help matters.

Ronnie has done bad things in the past no doubt, but nothing major to garantee him a ban, Ronnie compared to Alex Higgins is like a schoolboy

Andre, snooker fans who don't like O'Sullivan have to accept that fanboys love him to death, and fanboys have to accept that some snooker fans detest him.

It is called freedom of thought.

I know Vodka and never said otherwise, you have every right not to like him, because I too have many aspects about him I don't like, what annoys me is that some of those who detest him try everything in their power to discredit every single of his achievments.

But as for the rest you're right, we all have freedom of thought like you say.

Andre

As I said before no one put Ronnie down before Edwards obsession with Hendry winning in a weak era.

People got sick of it and saw Ronnie as an easy target.

Blavdes wrote:

PLtheRef wrote:This! Last night the amount of applause otherwise mediocre shots received last night just because they came from Ronnie's cue was ridiculous.

He is a fantastic player, and has played very well during the tournament but last night some members of the audience made it patronizing towards Ronnie that he could pot a red ball.

So you find it annoying that fans are supporting their favourite? Welcome to the world of sport.

Actually reminds me of Marcus Campbell last year in the first round after he lost to Ronnie complaining he didn't get as much applause after he made a good pot

Not at all. Just that some fans are patronizing. If Ronnie plays a good shot then applaud it. I certainly will. Rolling in a red which is over the pocket, a shot unmissable by any snooker player, let alone a five time defending World Champion isn't really a shot to write home about and shouldn't be attracting red roses into the arena should it? In fact, it gives the impression that Ronnie cannot play the game for toffee and that its unbelievable that he's in the Last 32 of the World Championship.

I've always said that IMO snooker fans, and Ronnie fans are two separate entities take some of those who have been in at his matches this season, the idiot against Selby in the Masters final. Those deliberately trying to put other players off their stroke like the one on Wednesday night. Fans that Ronnie doesn't need.

There are a small minority who are both, but by an large like I said, Snooker fans and Ronnie fans are completely different people. Shame that, because Ronnie's clearly showing the sport a lot more respect in now than he was recently and that is why he has dominated like he has in events he's entered.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:I look forward to this gripping match.

Unlike many Ronnie fans I don't hold any grudges against Selby. He inflicted 2 very painful defeats to Ronnie in finals but I appreciate his bottle, his match play, his shot making and his never say die attitude. Mark Selby would be a worthy World Champion and if he wins all I can do is take my hat off.

But obviously ( ) I badly want Ronnie to win this final and since this year's Masters final I'm confident he can complete a magical hat-trick.

Yeah my thoughts eaxctly SO.

I must say there was a time when I genually didnt like Selby (guess when: after that agonizing 2010 Masters loss ) but in recent years I've come to accept what a great player he is, such a great safety game, for me one of the best ever, his bottle, his will to never give up, and also his ability to escape from snookers and his creativity to lay ones, I dont think Ive ever seen anyone so good in that particular aspect of the game as Selby

Yeah obviously I also want a Ronnie win, and that would mean Selby would become the first ever player to reach all Triple Crown events Finals in one season and lose them all. A bit harsh I know, but as a Ronnie fan sory but I can't support Mark on this one against any other player I might have though.

Pad

Indeed and its abit low them shouting come on Ronnie if the opponent has had an unlucky in off.

GJ wrote:Andre

As I said before no one put Ronnie down before Edwards obsession with Hendry winning in a weak era.

People got sick of it and saw Ronnie as an easy target.

Well what Edwards does is nothing of my concern but I can see why some, in an act of payback saw Ronnie as an easy target.

True, but two wrongs...

May The Fourth be with you....

Third time lucky...

Andre147 PGC wrote:Yeah obviously I also want a Ronnie win, and that would mean Selby would become the first ever player to reach all Triple Crown events Finals in one season and lose them all. A bit harsh I know, but as a Ronnie fan sory but I can't support Mark on this one against any other player I might have though.

Both players can complete their personal hat-trick. Great, isn't it?

PLtheRef wrote:

PLtheRef wrote:

Not at all. Just that some fans are patronizing. If Ronnie plays a good shot then applaud it. I certainly will. Rolling in a red which is over the pocket, a shot unmissable by any snooker player, let alone a five time defending World Champion isn't really a shot to write home about and shouldn't be attracting red roses into the arena should it? In fact, it gives the impression that Ronnie cannot play the game for toffee and that its unbelievable that he's in the Last 32 of the World Championship.

I've always said that IMO snooker fans, and Ronnie fans are two separate entities take some of those who have been in at his matches this season, the idiot against Selby in the Masters final. Those deliberately trying to put other players off their stroke like the one on Wednesday night. Fans that Ronnie doesn't need.

There are a small minority who are both, but by an large like I said, Snooker fans and Ronnie fans are completely different people. Shame that, because Ronnie's clearly showing the sport a lot more respect in now than he was recently and that is why he has dominated like he has in events he's entered.

At least I know I'm one in that minority of fans

GJ wrote:Frame

Indeed

Well played to Robbo. He played his part in a great match.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:Yeah obviously I also want a Ronnie win, and that would mean Selby would become the first ever player to reach all Triple Crown events Finals in one season and lose them all. A bit harsh I know, but as a Ronnie fan sory but I can't support Mark on this one against any other player I might have though.

Both players can complete their personal hat-trick. Great, isn't it?

Yeah

vodkadiet wrote:

GJ wrote:Frame

Indeed

Well played to Robbo. He played his part in a great match.

Cheers mate

He gave his all just came up short.

I only have two things to say - well done Mark and good luck Ronnie, you will need it.

vodkadiet wrote:

GJ wrote:Frame

Indeed

Well played to Robbo. He played his part in a great match.

he gave it everything he could

And Matt from PSB made a very good point on Twitter, often in these long session matches when the match is about to end you often find one player who has dropped his level only for the other to bounce back and win the match.

But here that didnt happen, both were playing great when the match ended. Robbo just had a ton in the frame prior to that last one, but in end didnt have much of a chance in that 32nd frame because Selby potted some great balls when under pressure.

It was a truly Crucible Classic no doubt.

Robbo will quickly recover from this and play well, he has everything to become 2 time or even 3 times World Champ.

Andre147 PGC wrote:

vodkadiet wrote:

GJ wrote:Frame

Indeed

Well played to Robbo. He played his part in a great match.

he gave it everything he could

And Matt from PSB made a very good point on Twitter, often in these long session matches when the match is about to end you often find one player who has dropped his level only for the other to bounce back and win the match.

But here that didnt happen, both were playing great when the match ended. Robbo just had a ton in the frame prior to that last one, but in end didnt have much of a chance in that 32nd frame because Selby potted some great balls when under pressure.

It was a truly Crucible Classic no doubt.

Robbo will quickly recover from this and play well, he has everything to become 2 time or even 3 times World Champ.

Not if he comes up against Selby again. Boy did he show some bottle and class today. Surely could be the classic match up these two in future.

Alex0paul wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:

Holden Chinaski wrote:These endless discussions are pathetic. Good night.

They are, but Christ some here like Alex0Paul do love do discredit every Ronnie achievment. Like NNear rightly said, we can all play that game and discredit Hendry's achievements too.

Why don't some here just fully accept Ronnie's amazing achievemnts as ebing one of the greatest ever in this sport?

I know why, it's this feeling that when someone starts winning too much, in this case Ronnie in recent Worlds, they try everything in their power to discredit someone's achievments because basically for them they are winning too much. This is nothing new, happened with Davis in the 80s, Hendry in the 90s and now this

Just fully accept Ronnie's achievments ffs, and appreciate what a great player he is.

I just find it sad when people go over the top about a performance like the 7-1 session against Bingham last year as "snooker from the gods" when essentially Bingham played useless and kept missing in amongst the balls leaving him an open table.

He isn't a genius, no sportsperson is a genius.

I loved that first session against Bingham, O'Sullivan was in full flow and his positional play was sublime that day! But Bingham was useless and Parrott in the commentary box was creaming himself over Ronnie a bit too much tbh.

If I'm watching snooker on the BBC I tend to use the mute button most of the time and it really is about time they updated things.... Dennis Taylor is like a broken record and comes out with exactly the same rubbish every year. While Willie Thorne/John Virgo are equally clueless but not as senile yet. Get Neil Foulds and Mcmanus on there and get rid of these dinosaurs!!!!

What a great final though cant wait! Can't see anything other than a sixth world title for Ronnie but if anybody can do it Selby can!! Don't really care who wins I just want it to be close and a classic ;)

Just about every single pot from Selby in the last frame went in the middle of the pockets. He refused to miss till the snookers required stage. Perhaps he was so utterly focused on making sure he potted the balls that he lost position a bit too frequently. Well, it worked.

Just wanted to share a stat with you. If Mark were to win, he'd be only the second player to beat both the number 1 and 2 seeds.

The first being Dennis Taylor (Knowles in the semis, Davis in the final), who decided to be an overachiever and beat the number 3 seed as well! (Thorburn in the quarters).

BTW That year was also the last time a player who had the Saturday off lost the final.

NNear wrote:True, but two wrongs...

Make a chinky announcer with a speech impediment...

Would Wrong Wrong come to til 5 please?

Interesting info. It would be a mighty achievement to win by beating such a celebrated champion in the final and he will have also beaten another former champion and a finalist to do it. His first round match was also a nasty banana skin which he overcame in the end.

I think if Selby loses, he'll be the first player to lose in the final of the big three BBC events in the same season.

boris_the_butcher wrote:I think if Selby loses, he'll be the first player to lose in the final of the big three BBC events in the same season.

Check my comment above

Mark deserves to join the triple crown career list.

Classy guy and robbo aside there's no other player I would be more happier to see win a worlds than mark.

Andre147 PGC wrote:

boris_the_butcher wrote:I think if Selby loses, he'll be the first player to lose in the final of the big three BBC events in the same season.

Check my comment above

I ain't got time to go through all the bickering nonsense that has littered this thread so far.

mantorok wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:

vodkadiet wrote:

GJ wrote:Frame

Indeed

Well played to Robbo. He played his part in a great match.

he gave it everything he could

And Matt from PSB made a very good point on Twitter, often in these long session matches when the match is about to end you often find one player who has dropped his level only for the other to bounce back and win the match.

But here that didnt happen, both were playing great when the match ended. Robbo just had a ton in the frame prior to that last one, but in end didnt have much of a chance in that 32nd frame because Selby potted some great balls when under pressure.

It was a truly Crucible Classic no doubt.

Robbo will quickly recover from this and play well, he has everything to become 2 time or even 3 times World Champ.

Not if he comes up against Selby again. Boy did he show some bottle and class today. Surely could be the classic match up these two in future.

their a coin flip every time

boris_the_butcher wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:

boris_the_butcher wrote:I think if Selby loses, he'll be the first player to lose in the final of the big three BBC events in the same season.

Check my comment above

I ain't got time to go through all the bickering nonsense that has littered this thread so far.

lol, I know what you mean